Projects

Hearth.net

We
share what fulfills us. We accept what we ask for. Without money. Without
thinking “what’s in it for me.” We do it just for the pleasure it
brings :)

Hearth.net is an
online gifting market-space (Gift Exchange) and generosity based social network
built on the principals of the gift economy. It is a space where people can
reclaim their daily relationships with the generous world that surrounds them.
They can experiment and redefine how exchanges happen while exploring the
community that supports them. Moving beyond the self-centered and habitual
behavior often connected with commercial transaction experiences, a network of
our emerging Gift Culture of human cooperation can flourish.

The Hearth.net platform enables participants to exchange services and
products only as gifts.There is no currency within the system. User ratings and
transparent track records of each participant ensure the distribution of
services and goods through the system based on trust and transparency.

Experiment ~ Experience ~
Transform

At Hearth, the goal is not just to acquire or get rid of more stuff, but to
have fun with and explore the fundamental principle of generosity that is
central to life.

The essence of giving and receiving gifts, from our point of view, is that it
is done without expectation of a return gift or reward. We believe participation
with this kind of motivation is the real gift we all can share.

Taking care of each other is healthy. Giving and receiving with an open
heart, a beautiful truth is present. We are interconnected. We are
interdependent. By investigating and developing our mutual feelings of trust and
respect in a safe space we can discover more authentic and meaningful social
relationships.

Hearth celebrates and believes in this experience. Like people gathered at
home around the warmth and light of the communal fire, offering the best of what
they have, sharing stories, knowledge & skills, objects & things that
matter to them and carry meaning.

We believe this can be the start of something great. Not only is it fun to
meet each other and interact this way, it can help to positively shift the way
we understand what is possible. This kind of exchange can deepen our personal
and communal connections, make us happier, healthier, and potentially lead us to
a transformation of how we support our selves and our society, now and in the
future.

We invite you to join us! Come home to Hearth.

If you like the idea you can get involved by joining the Hearth network right
away and begin sharing your best. Hearth.net

Mobile Application

At the end of 2017, after long preparations, we began to create a mobile
application for Hearth.net to extend and simplify gifting. We conducted
interviews with users, prototyped designs, experimented, and gradually began to
create a modern application for finding gifts & wishes in the
user's neighbou­rhood, as well as quickly entering a new gift, etc.

However, soon after this we began to shift our attention on developing a New
general community platform which would focus on a broader set of tools that can
serve as a cornerstone not only for us but also other communities.

The development of the Hearth.net mobile application is thus currently
suspended while we focus on these other activities and the creation of the
general community platform. Non the less, we will be happy for your feedback
(ideally by email at support@hearth.net). Just
as we have conducted an intensive creative session at the end of May, we plan to
do it again this year 2–3 times and incorporate, among other things, feedback
from you who choose to use the application. Also, do not hesitate to let us know
if you would like to join us in a creative session …

Hearth Points

Hearth Points are places within currently running establishments ( E.g.
coffee/tea/co-work places with community character) where people can meet in
person to experience and practice generosity, share stories about their own
experiences of giving, and participate in inspiring interactive workshops and
meaningful presentations on:

Discovering your own gifts

A Culture of giving and the gift economy

Stories of intrinsic human values

Working with our breath and introduction to meditation practice

Natural movement

Spiral dynamics

Conscious and kind communication

Stepping out of the comfort zone

Sharing in different cultures

Art of helping

How to create a positive social climate in our communities

Hearth Points also function as an extension of the on-line Hearth.net gift
economy platform and gift exchange market-space. Inspired and motivated online
to share, but still needing a safe space to connect in person, Hearth Points can
function as a place where tangible gifts could be handed over.

We are currently actualizing the concept of Hearth Points at our Central
Hearth Point in the center of Prague, and plan in the near future to offer it as
a model for other places throughout the country and beyond.